NSW IRC Champions decided at Sail Port Stephens 2011

The NSW IRC Championship was sailed as part of Sail Port Stephens 2011.

On day three the NSW IRC Championship fleet headed offshore and completed three great races in each division, with the breeze from the south east at 15-18 knots for most of the day and a gradually easing sea state.

Principal Race Officer Denis Thompson set the windward/leeward course north of Cabbage Tree Island, with 1.8 nautical mile length for the first two races and 1.6nm for the third race for Division 1 and 1.4nm and 1.2nm for Division 2.

In Race 3 of the series the Division 1 leader, Marcus Blackmore's TP52 Hooligan continued on her winning way taking the daily double from Rob Hanna’s modified TP52 Shogun. Vamp, the Corby 49 skippered by Hugo Van Kretschmar was third.

Races 4 and 5 again had Hooligan, Shogun and Vamp filling the top places on both line honours and handicap.

The NSW IRC Division 1 champion is Marcus Blackmore’s TP52 Hooligan with a perfect score, winning five from five.

Marcus Blackmore was well pleased. ‘Yes we did well. The reality is the boat is well sorted and we sailed well.

‘Emirates Team New Zealand obviously set the systems on the boat well. We have a top class crew. Grant Simmer was making excellent tactical calls and we seemed to make gains at every mark.

'Its interesting that the smaller boats in the last couple of years have been better in IRC than the 50 footers. But I think that with the TP52s the hull shapes have evolved and the newer boats obviously rate better than they did before.

‘This is a great place to sail. Great island courses and because it’s so close to Sydney, families can easily come up.

‘We plan to be back here next year and we hope our competition will be back here too.’

Robert Hanna’s Shogun was second, with Gary Linacre and David Fuller’s Vamp taking third.

Division 2 line honours in Race 3 went to series leader, Paul Clitheroe’s Beneteau 45 Balance. Second was Mark Griffith’s Sydney 38 Old School, with Peter Horn’s King 40, Canute third.

The handicap win went to Balance from Roger Hickman’s Farr 43 Wild Rose. Old School was third.

In Race 4 Balance again took the double from Tony Kirby’s X-41 Patrice Six, with Peter Horn’s Canute filling third.

Paul Clitheroe’s Balance took the double yet again in Race 5. Canute was second on line honours with Andrew Parke’s X41 Matrix, third.

On handicap Wild Rose (Roger Hickman) was second with Canute (Peter Horn) third.

The NSW IRC Division 2 champion is Paul Clitheroe’s Beneteau 45 Balance, with a near perfect score, their only 'glitch' being a third in Race 2.